Benjamin f



BENJAMIN. F. STURTEVANT, 0F 'WEST ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.`

-Lette'rs Patent No. 102,063, dated April 19, 1870.

IMPROVMENT 12N- FAN-BLOWERS.

The Schedule referred-to in these Lettera Patent and making part of the same.

To all whcm it may mwern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. S'rURTEva-x'r, of West Roxbury, iu the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented-.Improvements in Blowers; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with thc dlawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a descriptionof my invention snflicient to enable those skilled in thc art to practice it.

This invention relates to certain new 'and useful improvements in blowers, and adjuncts thereunto, by which shavings and other light materials are conveyed Vfrom one or several locations to another or others more' or less remote; the invention being specially useful lin planing-mills for removing the light, combustible Inaterial as it is produced, to al suitable receptacle, genally near the boiler furnaces, where itis stored for fuel. My said invention consists: first, in combining with the shroudings of a blower-wheel blades or fans of thin plates of steel, said material being light, which causes the wheel to runeasily; elastic, which prevents them from taking a permanent set when they strike against matters ot' considerable size and-weight, such as blocks, Ste., on which, by reason .of the elasticity of the steel, such'blades act with an increasedeilicivency; and hard, so that they wear a long time in frictional contact'with matter containing considerable grit and abrasive dust.

It further consists iii-making an inlet-pipe, through which the shavings, or other material, and air enter the blower, with an attached bearing or box for one journal ofthe fan-wheel shaft, adjustable on either: side of the blower, and capable ot' attachment alike.

on eithr'side of the blower, lby which means the blower is most readily connected with the inlet-pipe.

It further consists in making the inlet-pipe com" bined with the blower, in branches leading to any l0- calt'y from which solid mattei' is to be removed, when each branch is made substantially with the same area of passage that the blower-case' has on its inlet side, and when each branch ,is provided with a valve by which all communication with the blower can be cut of., except .through one branch. v

And it further consists in constructing the bearingsupport used on that side of the blower opposite' the Vinlet-pipe, with an internallyprojecting ring reaching to the periphery of the driving-pulley.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, of which-1 Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation showing my' improvements; and

Figure 2 is a section taken through the fanvheel in aplaue at right angles with the axis ofthe blowershaft. Y I

a is-the blower-case, which may be made whole as shown, or in pieces if theblowcr is to be of large size.

A On each side of the case .is isl a large -circular sidepiece, removably attached, 'each 4side having a large central opening,.around which vis made a T-shaped groove, seen at 1). I

lo the side c is fixed by bolts, having their heads 'in its .T-shaped groove, a support for a box or bearing for the blower-shaft, said `support being made up of a wide ring, (Z, having ou it a slight ange entering the `T-shaped groove, arms e, and a central hub, f, sai'd ring, arms, and hub being all made in one casting, and the inner edge of the ring fitting the periphery of the pulley g. v

To the side c' is secured a pipe, h,'in the'same way that the 'ring (lis secured to the side' c, this pipe forming .a support for a bearing of the blower-shaft,'by having arms, e', and a hub, f', cast integral with it.r

Solid material entering the blower with the an', drawn into it through this pipe h, will, to a considerable extent, move along the bottom of' the pipe, and

hence it will be preferable in practice to support 4the l hub f' as much as possible from ythe upper part ofthe pipe, so that long matter, like longlshavings from joiners planes, threads, and long fibrous matters shall not-find arms e-'at.thiellower part of the pipe hv, to catch upon. The blades Ai of the fan-wheel, which are secured -to the shrondings and braces of the wheel, are .made of thin sheet steel, for thereasons and uses f before named.

The pipe h. has a ilange 'at its outer end, to which a continuation .of the inlet-pipe may be attached conveniently, and the pipe hmay be turnedor set aroun'd any number 'of degrees to facilitate the-connection therewith ot' the extension of the inlet-pipe, or the pipe h, and the ring d` may beshifted as to position, so that the blower may be conveniently arranged with reference to the pipes to which it is to be connected;

The inlet-pipes shown in iig. 1 are :represented as arranged to take shavings from a planing-mill, the pipe j being' shown as passing upward i'om'the blower and horizontally at a height above-the door-line, -z z, sniiicient teclear the heads of the workmen, or ata greater height.

llhe pipe k proceeds downward from the blower and horizontally beneath the floor. Each lpipe, j' and It,

has au area substantially equal to the inlet area through the side c' of the blower, so that to get a current eective to move shavings or other solid matter through either pipe, the other must, for the time, be shut oli, so that the pipes are never operative together as conveyersof solid matter, but only singly and interchang :eablfy".v

T o shut voiieither pipe so as to make the other effective, darnpersl or valves of any suitable kind are introduced, as seen at l 1.

From thepipej depend pipes in, provided with hoods, which are located over revolving4 cutters, or other By removal of side c the fan-wheel may be taken out of the blower case, and any obstruction in the inet may be removed without disturbing the pipe connections. y Y

A fan-wheel for a centrifugal blower, in which the fans 'i are made of sheet steel, and are combined with the wheel-shroudings, as and for the purpose specied.

Also, the pipe h arranged te the inlet passage so as to be adjustable thereon, and so as to fit either side of the blower, and so as to support a bearing for the fan-shaft, substantially as described.

Also, the ring d which serves as a base to which the bearing-support arms are united, when said ring is extended inward, and closes with the driving pulley the opening in onel side of the blower.

Also, in combination with a centrifugal blower, two or more inlet pipes, each of cross aren., substantially equal to the area of the inlet-opening in the side of the blower, when 'said pipes are each provided with valves, by which they maybe shut oli from the' blower, as and for,the purpose specified.

B. F. STURTEVANT.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, J. J. HAps'rED. 

